Christie's fined £3,000 for putting banned elephant tusk up for sale

World-famous Christie's Auction House were fined £3,250 today after putting a banned elephant tusk up for sale on their website.

Christie's included the raw ivory ornament in their catalogue after it was brought in by silver dealer Barry Collins, 63.

An expert for the auctioneers assessed the tusk, mounted on a silver pedestal, as having been crafted in about 1880 and valued at between £1,200 and £1,800.

But the company, based in South Kensington, southwest London, did not obtain the necessary paperwork to exempt it from stricter EU guidelines adopted in 2012.

On behalf of Christie's, Tony Woodcock told the court: "Christie's regrets that it is before the courts today for what it genuinely regarded as an honest mistake.

"In short, they did their best. It was an honest, genuine mistake by an entity that has established an enviable reputation in the art world.

"They took what they regarded as sufficient steps to satisfy itself with the item's provenance."

Magistrate Gay Cheyne told Mr Woodcock: "Christie's professionals should know what they are doing and should be beyond reproach.

"Balanced against that, the guidance is confusing and there have been changes in the regulations and guidance."

The court heard that under the old guidelines items that were "significantly altered from their raw state" for utility, ornament or jewellery would have been acceptable for sale.

Christie's regrets that it is before the courts today for what it genuinely regarded as an honest mistake.Tony Woodcock

New guidelines designed to protect elephants, rhinos and tigers meant that the raw tusk mounted on a silver pedestal required specific exemption paperwork.

Collins claims he discovered the ornament in a loft after his mother died.

He is accused of offering the item to Christie's for valuation on 28 April last year.

Collins appeared briefly at Hammersmith Magistrates Court to deny a charge of contravening the Control of Trade in Endangered Species (Enforcement) Regulations.

Michael Levy, for Collins, claimed his client only took the item to Christie's to see what it was worth.

The item was then placed for sale on the Christie's website before it was returned to Collins when nobody purchased it.

"One may reasonably think that relying on somebody like Christie's one would not be led into committing an offence," said Mr Levy.

Collins was bailed to appear at City of London Magistrates' Court on 7 September for trial.

Christie's Auction House pleaded guilty to the prohibited offering for sale of a specimen and was fined £3,250, and ordered to pay a surcharge of £120 with £85 costs.

A spokesperson for Christie's said: “Christie's unequivocally condemns the slaughter of elephants for illegal ivory and will not sell modern ivory, or unworked tusks of any age.

"We take the obligations in relation to endangered species very seriously. Our ongoing responsibility is to ensure that illegal ivory cannot be sold at Christie’s, and as part of this we have we have a robust training programme in place that is constantly reviewed.

"This was an isolated incident and we believe that the honourable response was to accept the charge as made.”